Ultimate Vacation
Vacation
All I ever wanted
Vacation
Had to get away
Vacation
Meant to be spent alone
~The GoGos
After the events of the Nakatomi Plaza and the teams sudden deficit of members Catherine herself called and outright ordered the team on vacation. She wouldn't hear any objections and as Hornet well knew when she pushed for something she got it.
So Hornet, Shock, and Dragonfyre found themselves on the beaches of Hawaii in Oahu scenic and beautiful. Hornet laying about on the beach with Karen at his side both fully lathered in sunscreen and soaking up the rays. Shock catching some waves on a paddle board, and Tony making the local ladies squeal with glee as he lets the dragon show a bit with a glass sand castle.
All told beautiful weather which had Elena complaining good naturedly about not being able to join but wishing you well all the same.
For the last four days of a two week stay paid for in a top flight hotel the three of you have lived it up, and surprisingly you haven't had a lick of trouble at all. Shock put one crime to rest by just examining the scene and pointing out to the local authorities the actual perp. Hornet fixed a cars electrical system with a couple quick fixes, and Dragonfyre broke a local credit card scam targeting tourists with a laptop.
beyond that though the days have been idyllic and filled with leisure.
the only sign of any trouble at all comes well into the fifth day where after breakfast a rumble is felt throughout the island chain. Over the last week one of the dormant volcanos long thought dead, has been smoking and showing signs of life. Geologist were puzzled but no one gave it much thought given that Hawaii is an active region and the activity was low level.
its at this moment when finishing their morning repast that the team is shaken by a rumble of the ground shaking and then a visual right out their windows that cant be missed. the volcano is now in full eruption, lava and smoke pouring from the caldera and down the sides into the ocean creating a visual spectacle. There are reports of damage in the area from the earthquake and possible injuries as the authorities urge everyone to stay close to home and await further instructions.
--ooOoo--
On the mountain side Thomas Flynn known in some circles as the Magus Errant and in others as less flattering and more curse inducing words searched the volcanos side easily avoiding lava floes and not bothered at all by the heat. He was here following up on an investigation at the request of a friend he'd made some time after arriving here.
A fellow mage named Kris Majax.
Kris had been hot on the trail of a monster named Black Anubis, a man empowered by the darkest of magics with the powers of an ancient god. He might be unfamiliar with this world in many ways but somethings were universal and the ancient Egyptians no matter what universe had magic powers you just plain didn't mess with. The Amenti aka mummies were a prime example of that and he'd run into a couple of those on this world as well. they were not to be underestimated.
So he found himself following a trail of resurrected corpses, ancient curses, and at least one Scion of Sobek, the powerful Crocodile Mage and he battling to an near fatal conclusion. Now on these beautiful tropical isles he has sensed his foe and followed his works to this ancient volcano, but more then some mere dormant rock, a ley line nexus and link to the elemental planes of fire and earth.
circumventing the wards around the place has proven tricky but not impossible however it has delayed him and he feels that whatever dark magic being woven within is reaching its climax. the fact the volcano erupted while he was investigating was proof enough of that. At this time he finds a cave with an oddly specific message on it.
Keep out.
the cave itself looks to have been sealed by magic that's not broken and a large rock used as a door now shattered to dust. the scent of death and ancient magic reeks all over the place.
It would seem the vampire he interrogated for information was on point. he'd have to find out what's inside.
--ooOoo--
For Photon the last months have been a whirlwind of action. the Viper War, several super villains in need of a beat down, and at least one moron that thought messing with an alien suit of power armor from a crashed ship was a good idea. he'd helped fight them all and more and more felt like the hero he was told he was meant to be. He'd seen the footage of guys like the Protectors fighting the good fight especially their now famous last stand against the viper army that marched on the California capital armed with one of the most brutal villains ever Ripper. The battle has quickly gone viral on youtube and other social media platforms and remains a favorite for top 10 superhero battles on Hero Network.
Still it doesn't diminish his own contributions as stopping a viper satellite network armed with orbital lasers is a pretty darned impressive feat even if no one was there with a camera phone to record it.
Now though he's got an interesting new job. Elena the Protectors admin and public face approached him with a temporary Job offer. The Protectors it seemed were short handed and on a much needed vacation. He had been asked to fill in and gotten a recommendation from a friend, a Blue Lantern named Ashley who had put in a personal appearance at the Protectors base and after a reunion with the staff endorsed him to them.
And that was it he was hired as a temp replacement and asked to patrol the city. he'd already stopped a couple robberies, and at least one supervillain -- the speedster Dart.
Now here he was above the city skyline holding up a crane that had been shaken when an earthquake rolled through the region. the construction crews were working like mad to get the crane stabilized and now they had the time to do sot hanks to him.
"Photon how you holding up?" Elena's voice broke in through the new commlink earpiece he'd been given.
--ooOoo--
Elsewhere Valerie Bright worked her way through the local community she frequented. these under dwellers lived beneath the marvelous city above them in tunnels that used to be ruled by beings known as Trolls until a group of heroes had driven them out. Her arrival here some time ago had allowed her to make a home of these tunnels and along with the enormous green giant Gator, and the smaller Gretchen become a sort of odd family protecting the under dwellers as if they were her own subjects. Why they chose to live down here she couldn't say as her own understanding of this worlds culture was limited. Still they had made that choice and now she strove to protect them as she could and to provide for them as they needed.
Gator made this easier as did Gretchen. the Man reptiles monstrous strength scaring off any would be raiders, and the small skittish Goblins cunning and intellect enabling them to build a helpful infrastructure allowing the community to thrive. Now though she was busy investigating a problem.
Members of the community had been vanishing, and worse at least one had been found as a corpse. But what made this truly terrifying was that the corpse had been animated as a shamble and had attempted to prey on her and the others.
Princess Valvalla Leota Shard aka Prism couldn't allow thatand had quickly returned the corpse to the dirt as ashes. but the encounter had shaken her, and now with the earthquake shaking their community she knew soon she must leave the tunnels and return to the surface to seek help because some dark force was at work down here, and whether it was related to the darkness that had taken her homeworld or not she couldn't say.
But she would bring light to it none the less.
Reconstructing the start well advance quickly here